1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot vehicle which automatically travel along a predetermined travelling route. More particularly, it relates to a robot vehicle such as carts in a factory or a golf cart and the other carts for labour saving devices in agricultural working and land working etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, certain robot vehicles have been proposed. A robot vehicle receives radio wave having a specific frequency generated from an inductive wire to cause the robot vehicle to travel along the route or a robot vehicle uses a photoelectric sensor to travel the robot vehicle along the route formed by an optical reflective tape instead of the inductive wire.
The robot vehicle is equipped with a detector for detecting a deviation from the inductive wire or the optical reflective tape laid on the surface for travelling and the robot vehicle is controlled to calibrate the deviation. The use of a leading element for the route has been the indispensable element. Therefore, it has been necessary to re-install the leading element when a lay-out of an instrument and equipment in a factory or a warehouse is modified or an order for stages is modified. When an inductive wire is used, the embedding work for the installation has not been easy. When an optical reflective tape is installed, it is not durable to dust and stain.
Transportation means for factory instruments and equipment have been studied not only using a conveyor line suitable for a mass production but also workpiece transportation means between stages suitable for small productions of various kinds of products. It is important to easily attain a modification of lay-outs in various stages. The conveyer line is a disadvantageous transportation means in the case of various transportations for small productions of various kinds of products and modifications of lay-outs of stages in model changes for various needs of products.
It is necessary to find a suitable transportation system.
A job-shop production system in a factory shown in FIG. 1 comprises stations for trans-shipment are placed adjacent to job-shops for various stages, and a charging station for charging a battery as a power source of robot vehicle and a central control station having a terminal function for robot vehicles for monitoring the total system near a warehouse. The robot vehicles are used as workpiece transportation means between the stations.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the robot vehicle system wherein the reference (1) designates the robot vehicle; (2) designates the central control station; (3a), (3b), (3c) respectively designate stations for trans-shipment; (4) designates a charging station; and la-lg respectively designate the traveling route.
In the conventional robot vehicle, the inductive wire or the optical reflective tape is installed on the parts corresponding to the travelling route (la-lg).